Tangata Whenua

Overview

The Matamata-Piako District Council aims to maintain and encourage kaitiaki responsibility (guardianship) of Maori by implementing a partnership approach to the sustainable management of the district’s natural and physical resources.

The Resource Management Act (RMA) 1991 requires that in achieving the purpose of the Act all persons under it shall:

Recognise and provide for the relationship of Maori and their culture and traditions with ancestral lands, water, sites, waahi tapu (spiritual and culturally important places for Maori), and other taonga (items, objects or things that represents the ancestral identity of a Maori kin group (whanau, hapu or iwi) with their particular land and resources) as a matter of national importance;

Have particular regard to kaitiakitanga (the exercise of guardianship);

Take into account the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.

The Resource Legislation Amendment Act 2017 has amended specific sections of the RMA. Of particular interest to Maori may be the insertion of section 58O “Mana Whakahono a Rohe” which are Iwi Participation Agreements (IPA). Mana Whakahono a Rohe are written agreements between councils and iwi authorities to agree and record how tāngata whenua will participate in the preparation, change or review of a policy statement or plan. IPA are not limited to one iwi authority and one council, and there can be more than one party to each side of the agreement. An IPA can be initiated by either an iwi authority or a council.

Land use activities and subdivision development may adversely affect sites of cultural significance to iwi. Sites might be modified, damaged or destroyed by construction activity, roads or housing development. To avoid, mitigate or minimise any adverse effects there needs to be:

An understanding with the local iwi or hapu to identify sites of cultural significance potentially affected by development;

A partnership between iwi and Council;

Increased involvement of iwi in the decision making process such as plan development and monitoring.

Our Situation

Of the 175,500ha of land in the district, 3,274ha is held in rateable Maori Title.